The final seeding of the LCK teams have yet to be determined based on the LCK Playoffs.
The League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK) have now locked in the four teams from the league heading to Worlds 2026, after 
Dplus KIA claimed the final berth by defeating 
KT Rolster 3-1 in the 2026 LCK Season Playoffs on Friday (4 September).
With the result, Dplus join 
Hanwha Life Esports (HLE), 
Gen.G, and 
T1 as the four LCK representatives heading to Worlds. While all four teams are now confirmed, their final seeding will still depend on how the remainder of the LCK Season Playoffs plays out.
Here is how each team secured their place at Worlds 2026, and the minimum finish they have already guaranteed in the LCK Playoffs.
How did Hanwha Life Esports qualify for Worlds 2026?
The first LCK team to secure their place at Worlds were Hanwha Life Esports, thanks to their victory at the 2026 Mid-Season Invitational in South Korea last July.
In the Grand Final, HLE defeated LPL representatives and 2026 First Stand champions Bilibili Gaming 3-2 to claim the 2026 Mid-Season Invitational title and a direct invitation to Worlds. Their victory also means the LCK will send four teams to Worlds this year, with the region's usual three qualification spots joined by HLE's MSI berth.
That invitation still came with a domestic requirement, which HLE fulfilled by reaching the LCK Season Playoffs after another strong campaign. Their Worlds seed, however, is not yet locked. They are still competing for the LCK title and will face Gen.G in the Upper Bracket Final, with the winner advancing directly to the Grand Final. By reaching this stage of the Playoffs, HLE are already guaranteed at least a top-three finish.
How did Gen.G qualify for Worlds 2026?
A 3-0 sweep over KT Rolster in Upper Bracket Round 2 made Gen.G the next LCK team to secure their place at Worlds. The victory guaranteed them a top-three finish in the Season Playoffs, securing one of the LCK's three regional qualification spots.
Their qualification capped another strong domestic campaign, with Gen.G spending the regular season among the LCK's leading teams before carrying that form into the Playoffs. After receiving a bye into Upper Bracket Round 2, beating KT was enough to guarantee that they would finish among the LCK's final three teams.
The 2026 LCK Championship title is also still within reach. Gen.G will face Hanwha Life Esports in the Upper Bracket Final, with the winner moving directly into the Grand Final. Regardless of what happens from here, Gen.G are guaranteed at least a third-place finish.
How did T1 qualify for Worlds 2026?
T1's route to Worlds may have been the least chaotic, and almost anticlimactic, compared to the past couple of years. The winningest organisation in LoL Esports history qualified at the very last possible moment in each of the previous two seasons, keeping fans on edge until the end.
This year, however, the road to Worlds looks very different. The LCK no longer has a separate Regional Qualifier to determine its final representatives. Instead, the top three teams in the Season Playoffs qualify directly for Worlds, while Hanwha Life Esports had already secured a separate berth by winning MSI 2026 and reaching the LCK Playoffs.
And that is where Gen.G's win over KT Rolster came into play for T1. Under the LCK's playoff format, the two teams that lose in Upper Bracket Round 2 do not necessarily enter the lower bracket at the same stage. The higher-seeded team skips ahead to Lower Bracket Round 3. Since T1 finished ahead of KT in Rounds 3–4, Gen.G's 3-0 victory over KT meant that even if T1 lost their own upper-bracket series against Hanwha Life Esports, they would still be guaranteed to finish no lower than fourth.
That fourth-place floor was enough to secure T1's Worlds berth because the scenario in which they dropped to fourth would also put MSI champions Hanwha Life Esports inside the LCK's top three. HLE's already-secured Worlds place would therefore leave the remaining berth for T1.
So, before T1 had even played their next match, Gen.G's sweep of KT mathematically punched both teams' tickets to Worlds 2026. T1 are now guaranteed at least a fourth-place finish in the LCK Playoffs, with a chance to climb higher through the lower bracket.
How did Dplus qualify for Worlds 2026?
Dplus claimed the LCK's final Worlds berth after defeating KT Rolster 3-1 in Lower Bracket Round 2 on Friday. The qualification marks Dplus' return to Worlds after missing the tournament in 2025, when T1 eliminated them from Worlds contention with a 3-1 victory in the LCK Playoffs.
Despite that absence, Dplus have already shown internationally this year that they cannot be counted out. Their run at the 2026 Esports World Cup saw them reach the semifinals, where they upset defending champions Gen.G 2-1 and became the only LCK team still in contention for the title. Dplus then swept Karmine Corp 3-0 in the Grand Final to win the EWC Championship title.
Their Worlds hopes, however, still came down to one elimination series against KT Rolster in the LCK Playoffs. KT struck first in Game 1, but Dplus responded in a much closer second game to level the series. From there, Dplus took control, overpowering KT in Game 3 to move onto match point before Dplus crushed KT in Game 4.
With the victory, Dplus are guaranteed at least a fourth-place finish in the LCK Season Playoffs and complete the region's four-team lineup for Worlds 2026. They will next face T1 in Lower Bracket Round 3, with their final Worlds seed still to be determined.
Meanwhile, KT Rolster bow out of the LCK Season 2026, and will join 
BNK FearX and 
HANJIN BRION to represent the LCK at the 2026 Demacia Cup Global Invitational.
